William J. M. Wold IPRA Chief Executive Officer

EYE ON THE PROFESSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

Networking and Education

Net • wor • king (net' wur king) the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups or institutions.

The 2005 IAPD/IPRA Conference provides hundreds of educational opportunities to enhance your professional career. There is another conference-related opportunity that will enhance your professional career, and that is networking. Our annual conference is an excellent opportunity to connect with other professionals, sharing and discussing trends and ideas for your agency and your career.

Don't expect to drive away from Chicago with a handful of job offers. Instead, hope for something better.

The Value and the Dangers Networking

Most professionals know that by developing a network of colleagues they gain a valuable asset that can make a difference, especially during difficult and changing times. Networking can be a fun and easy way to enrich your life, broaden your horizons and enhance your career.

In fact, networking may be crucial to your success. Networking is a chance to gravitate towards a new area of knowledge you may have never explored. And meeting people outside your current position may enable you to fully understand the next step of your career.

The phrase, "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is no longer a plausible phrase for business. Now it is what you know and who you know. You must be able to perform the duties assigned when given the opportunity. Networking is an opportunity for you to show others your knowledge base and share your professional and life experiences. Sharing that knowledge base and those experiences will open you to greater opportunities. Locking that knowledge base away helps no one — not even yourself.

But, awful networking can be potentially devastating. Your professional behavior can make or break an opportunity. Remember to treat networking as a professional exchange. Make sure you are not selling yourself, you are not lecturing about all the wonderful things you know or are not sponging off others for your benefit only. Instead, be delicately generous in sharing your talents, experiences and ideas.

Networking can be a fun and easy way to enrich your life, broaden your horizons and enhance your career.

Think of Networking as an Idea Swap Meet

Effective networking can be your best form of marketing. Yes, it really can (and often does) ultimately lead to that next job offer that boosts your career to new heights. But, if you go into a networking opportunity like the IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference with the goal of lobbying for your next job, your networking is going to come off as disingenuous and desperate.

Whether you network to make new friends, explore job opportunities, develop your current career, obtain information or simply broaden your professional horizons, it is important to focus on networking as an exchange of information, contacts and experience. Don't expect to drive away from Chicago with a handful of job offers. Instead, hope for something better. Try to go back to your agency with one or two solid contacts — people you can call on (and be called upon) for friendly advice or moral support. With a group of personal and professional boosters in the field, rest assured that career advancement will surely follow.

Networking Tips for the Novice

If you don't know how to network well, then let me give you two pieces of advice:

1. Don't be shy.

2. Find a model networker.

Wallflowers Can't Network

The key to good networking is to socialize and take advantage of the process. At a conference, you may stay in your room and meet no one, or

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you can attend education sessions, social events and other activities and meet dozens of professionals. Getting out and meeting other professionals allows you to develop that network that will assist you every day in your job.

Let Your Ears Guide You to a Model Networker

If you have trouble networking, then let your ears get you started. Listen to other professionals share their knowledge. Listen for content first. If nothing else, you'll learn what they know. Then, pay attention to how they share their information. Do other professionals wait until they are asked for their opinions, or do they dominate conversations, spraying their news and views across the room like buckshot? Do they allow that their way to success is just one avenue to getting great results, or do they insist that they have the inside track to greatness? How do their peers react to what they say? How do their peers react to how they say what they say?

By using your ears, you may just find the perfect networking mentor.

Give Networking a Chance

Each opportunity for networking is an opportunity for career advancement. No man is an island. Share your ideas and knowledge while listening to others. Networking will build relationships that can last a professional lifetime.

Let Your Networking Be as Easy as 1 -2-3 It's hard to imagine that anyone in our business is painfully shy. But some are decidedly less gregarious than others. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of networking, then start slow. Remember, the goal is to build a career-long web of friends, and it will take a long career to do that. So, don't pressure yourself to meet a dozen new people at conference this year. One or two is a great start. And, it never hurts to have a simple strategy for cultivating a new contact. Here is a three-steps breakdown of the process. 1. Listen. Nobody likes a "know-it-all," so listen first, and then, maybe, add to a conversation. Remember, when it comes to a conversation — especially a group conversation — listening is an appreciated form of participation. 2. Ask questions. If someone is a discussing a topic or issue about which you don't have a clear understanding, ask questions in a professional manner. This will assist you to better be part of the networking opportunity. Asking questions also works wonders if you are shy, especially if you ask the right kind of questions. Let the other person keep the conversation going by asking open-ended questions that require more than just a sentence or two to answer. For example, instead of asking: "Did you have a successful snow sculpting event again this year?" Ask: "Why do you think your snow sculpting event has been so successful, and what would you think would be the challenges to staging a similar event in ay part of the state?" 3. Follow up. If you are part of a conversation, ask the person if you may follow up with further questions at another time. This will allow you an opportunity to network with the same person and discuss other areas of the parks and recreation field. Get a card. (And then, later in the evening, back in your room, write on the back of the card some reminders about this person and what you talked about.) When you get back home, give your new contact a call or drop a note.

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